Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
I hiss in pain as the hot water tears through my cracked knuckles. I’ve been awake far too long, cleaning far too much in a bid to distract myself.
I’ve barely seen Adhira in the last three days, though I know she’s here thanks to the little notes she leaves.
Each one, folded in a different shape, says nothing about her whereabouts, but a messily scribbled fact about orcas has greeted me every night—and my heart is practically rattling out of my chest as I wonder why she might be ignoring me.
I haven’t felt quite as alone with Adhira dropping in on my nightly calls with my sisters, and I’ve managed to bribe her into sharing dinner with me most nights. I’d thought she was growing more comfortable with me, but maybe I’d been wrong.
The few moments I get to share with her have soothed some of the ache in my chest after years of feeling alone, even in a room full of people.
Because with Adhira Shah, I’ve learned that if she doesn’t want to be around me, she won’t.
She wouldn’t make the effort if I were a complete nuisance or waste of space, and I hold onto that as I approach her door.
I feel like I could run a marathon with nothing but my anxiety to fuel me. Luckily, my match is in a couple of hours, and I’ll have ample opportunity to exhaust this overwhelming feeling.
Rapping my knuckles against the door, I wait, hearing her shuffling behind it. A moment later, the door swings open, and I jump out of the way just in time to avoid getting my skull bashed in.
Adhira looks like hell.
My gut roils with nerves as I take her in.
She’s standing in the doorway, her effortlessly flawless face now tinged with a greenish hue showing through her pretty tawny complexion.
Her hair is piled high on her head in a messy bun, and her trademark fuzzy green robe is hanging loosely off her shoulders.
“Hey,” I say, dragging the word out like a teenager hitting on a girl for the first time.
She stares at me, her expression sharp, as she waits for me to offer something worth the intrusion. I clear my throat. “Are you doing anything today?”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Oh.” I rub the back of my neck. “Okay, well—”
“Out with it, please. This is getting painful to watch. It’s okay to speak your mind.
I promise I won’t get offended by whatever you have to say.
” Some of her frustration oozes into her words.
“I have a difficult time interpreting what people want, so I need you to come out and say what’s on your mind.
You’re probably the sweetest person I’ve ever met, so I know nothing you say would be with malicious intent. ”
My mind skitters over most of her words, choosing to swirl around the part where she called me the sweetest person ever, but when she puts a hand on her hip, I know she’s annoyed.
“You think I’m sweet?” I ask, my lashes fluttering, and a grin tugs at my lips.
She pins me with a glare that wrinkles the edges of her eyes.
I suck my lips into my mouth, gaining some composure.
“Right—to the point. Got it. Would you like to come to my game today? I know your friends can’t make it, but—”
“Yes, Elijah. That would be lovely. I’ll go get changed,” she says, turning and closing the door in my face.
Well, that went better than I thought it would.